Lunar Nodes

Lunar Nodes are usually called the North and South Nodes of the Moon. It is important to understand that these nodesare not actual objects. Lunar Nodes are actually two points of the moon that are assumed to be associated with the soul’s journey through all twelve archetypes of the zodiac.

The North Node of the moon represents destiny and the South Node is supposed to represent our karmic past or “karmic debt.”

Why Are Lunar Nodes Important?
Lunar Nodes are important because one is supposed to read about the sign that their north and south nodes are in so that you can expand your awareness of events that can potentially impact:

Energy

Motivation

Potential

Response

So if your north node is in Pisces, your destiny is likely to be associated with the arts, compassion, spirituality and all things associated with limitless “Neptunian” imagination. It would also mean that one needs to be careful about trying to escape challenging situations involving emotions or conflict that could potentially marginalize your progress and contributions.

This North Node placement could also mean a person that is potentially prone to addiction and denial. Since the South Node would be in Virgo, striving for perfection and precision could lead to a larger burden of guilt and a sense of failure when you judge yourself for not being perfect.

But don’t look at this North Node placement as just being the negative parts of Pisces and its ruling planets Neptune and Jupiter. With certain aspects of one’s North Node, “escape” could be very rewarding if you escape by hiking, running marathons, making scientific breakthroughs or building art installations. It depends on which coping methods you have developed for dealing with challenges in your life.

The north and south points where the orbit of the Moon intersects the path of the sun called, “The Ecliptic,” are the points when the moon is either above (north) or below (south) the intersecting solar plane where the earth and moon are lined up with the center of the sun’s equator. (And this is an OVERSIMPLIFICATION.)

Ouroboros is connected to the Moon. It is the snake/dragon biting its own tail representing eternity. This makes Cancer a “dual” sign just like its opposite sign Capricorn the “sea-goat.” Yin and Yang or heaven and earth is the divine dance of the macrocosm and the microcosm. As above, so below.

The North Node (also called ascending node) is known as the “Dragon’s Head,” and the south node as the “Dragon’s Tail.”

In your natal chart, lunar nodes represent sensitive points. However, there is a lot of debate among astrologers about the exact meaning of Lunar Nodes. Because of the association Lunar Nodes have with “past life” experiences, one can see how this could be a problem if you don’t believe in reincarnation.

The most widely accepted idea is that the north node denotes the positive qualities with which you enter this life, and the south node represents the negative behavior that you need to learn to release.

North Node in Libra means that we must work on sensitizing ourselves to the needs of others, to learn tact, conflict resolution, and cooperation. This placement, in theory, influences us to put ourselves in the “other’s” shoes. Since Aries is the opposite of Libra, it would men that you are learning to let go of people in a fiery way that may be a lot more self-centered and forceful.

In esoteric astrology, the sign of Cancer rules the gate of human incarnation, and the sign of Capricorn rules the gate of human ascension.

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Pinterest

Gmail

Tumblr

Print Friendly

Because of the 25,920 year cycle called the “precession of the equinoxes,” The earth’s 23.5 degree switches North pole stars approximately every 13,000 years. The switch is between the fixed stars Vega and Polaris.

Why do I mention this law of opposites?
The “see-saw” or balancing act of Cancer and Capricorn gives us a strong clue that the law of balance is the strongest lesson that one must be mindful of when considering the nodes of the moon in Astrology. The sensitive aspects of our character, represented by Cancer, teaches us to be mindful intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, as we head into our future. In stark contrast, we must learn to be tough and discerning like coach Capricorn. Releasing everything that keeps us from climbing to the “Saturnian Summit of Success!”

Many astrologers feel that the moon’s nodes apply to relationships of all types ranging from platonic friendships to passionate epic love affairs. The North Node impacts how we form ties and bonds with others in relationships while the south node relates to how we dissolve such ties.

Because it takes the moon’s Lunar Nodesabout 18-19 years on average to go through all of the signs of the Zodiac, one must divide the cycle between 12 signs. (13 signs if you are using Sidereal Astrology). This division means that the lunar nodes spend about 1.6 years in each zodiac sign.

Why do I geek out with all of this technical information?
Because once you begin to understand what Lunar Nodes are, the 18 year 11 day cycle of the moon and the link between Karma and Dharma, one can better understand the personal and transpersonal link between the new moon and full moon cycle.

Once you understand the full moon cycle and new moon cycle, perhaps you will be able to assimilate the importance of the eclipse cycles that are integral to the 18 year 11 day cycle of the moon’s Lunar Nodes as they travel through the zodiac ecliptic?

Karma is like Taoism, the intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual.

intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual

WHY IS THE SOLAR/LUNAR ECLIPSE CYCLE IMPORTANT?

Most significant subjects in astrology are based on a frequency or cycle. The term frequency itself literally means cycles per seconds (CPS), suggesting that understanding everything that repeats with the symmetry of “sacred” geometry, may provide you with more insight or ideas to handle life better if you can learn to decode the pattern(s).
The new, full, dark mooncycle, represents each month, while each solar and lunar eclipse represents six months of one-month moon cycles each. (These six-month periods are also called a semester, just like in school.)
We have on average two eclipses a year. A solar eclipse is generally a good time to set intentions, while a lunar eclipse is often a good time to make sure we are balancing out all of the challenges we face in reaching our goals (Check out Partridge, J at Astrologyking.com for some wonderful insights along with fixed stars information.).
The “macrocosmic” progression of the moon through its 18 year cycle of the zodiac signs suggests a “macrocosmic” connection to the 18 year, 11 day eclipse cycles. The harmony of the sun and moon cycles eventually line back up in a similar geometric aspect on a MACRO level just like the “microcosmic” connection of the new, full, dark mooncycle. This cycle is called a SAROS cycle.

How is the macrocosmic cycle of the moon and sun related to the lunar nodes?

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Pinterest

Gmail

Tumblr

Print Friendly

Like the new, full, dark cycle takes us through a metaphorical cycle of incarnation, ascension, death and transformation each 28 days, the sun/moon Saros cycle may be doing this on a generational level. Meanwhile the lunar nodes are facilitating a shared experience on human consciousness on an individual level spanning infinity.

The north lunar node’s emphasis on fate hints at a cycle of destinythat we are moving towards that which is tethered or “rooted” in various incarnations of our past lives. The dual-connection of the north to the south lunar nodes help us to release in order to move closer to our destiny. The zodiac sign or house that each of the nodes is in, is always linked to its 180º degree opposite sign. The north and the south node is a linear way of understanding a cycle. In mathematics 180º degrees is halfway around the circle, just like in Mayan/Aztec numbers 7 is the midpoint to 13. The numbers 1-7 represent day and 8-13 represent night.

The 13 day/tone or Trecena—> While it says that there are 13 days, technically it’s 14 days, as the completed 13th day ends on 14. 7 is the halfway point.

After a Solar Eclipse, Astrological theory suggests thatwe should place our focus on doing activity that will help us reach the goals that we set with our intentions. Perhaps this segment of the cycle means that for the first third of a Saros cycle, we should be focused on building better infrastructure for a sustainable world? At a lunar node return, would that mean that we need to focus more on doing activities that take care of ourselves, our homes and security in general? Should we look at the different decans of the moon’s nodes to see where to place emphasis on our efforts? And what of Lunar Retrogrades?

These are just a few questions I want to bring up, while we all collectively continue to poke, prod and explore all of the theories and philosophies of modern astrology.

During a Lunar Eclipse, should we be asking ourselves what will we need to do in order to stay balanced in our approach?

Should we take a transpersonal approach in the middle of the Saros cycle when we get to the middle eclipse of the cycle? Like the night and the day, masculine and feminine, or heaven and earth, in astrology, everything is a constant balance of opposites that most people identify as the “yin” and “yang” forces that we must master if we want to manifest the best outcomes. So how would we apply such information to our lunar nodes when they are in the middle of our cycle? (Cycles take place at ages –9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, 99, 108 etc).

Perhaps that is another article on the moon!
What is it that interests you about the Lunar Nodes?

Semester: Semester Half a lunar year. Eclipses will repeat exactly one semester apart at alternating nodes in a cycle that lasts for 8 eclipses. Because it is close to a half integer of anomalistic, draconic months, and tropical years, each solar eclipse will alternate between hemispheres each semester, as well as alternate between total and annular. Hence there can be a maximum of one total or annular eclipse each in a given year.